Oh. Look at this way, when you had breakfast this morning, did you pay for it

Lisa's characterization in this episode is virtually flawless. She is the moralistic foil to the family/town and does it without being overbearing and annoying. She has a cause but doesn't bully people into thinking the way she does. She is the adult trapped in a child's body. But at the same time, she is in ways still learning about moral issues (because of her age) at church, from Marge and Homers actions etc. She is the Lisa before everything went wrong and she became a pushy Liberal. She is Lisa pre-Lisa the Vegetarian and everything about her in this episode works.

I would probably rank this episode in the top 15 for the funniest episode in the history of the show. There are so many gut-busting funny moments the cable pamphlet, the Boxing pre-fight, Smithers and Burns bringing the snacks, Homer in Kwik E Mart, The whole supermarket scene, Bart's hell song, Bart's Top hat theater, Lisa's whole conversation with Lovejoy and the North by Northwest reference. Pure gold! This episode is also chalk full of background gags. There is hardly one scene in the episode where someone isn't stealing something whether it's Jimbo in multiple places, Maggie at the supermarket or SLH stealing Homer's lemonade in the opening scene. There is also a great call back joke (probably the best the show has ever done) with Homer watching TV and Itchy and Scratchy's voices coming up a la Itchy and Scratchy and Marge. But the most famous joke of the episode might be the "it's funny because it's true line". Which is just a great joke on many levels because The Simpsons specialized in creating realistic everyday humor.

Now I'm not the most skilled animation expert but I do know when something works and when something doesn't and this episode is filled with some great animation/direction and puts those "the early seasons' animation sucks" people to shame. First off with Lisa envisioning hell surrounding the family and the devil on the couch looks really great and the colors are nicely done everything is perfect. Homer's jail sequence is really nicely shaded with the pale blue and black color scheme and lastly, I really liked the scene with Marge and Homer lying in bed talking about the kids. Everything looks so realistic from them talking to Homer's little chest hair and his foot coming down to end the scene was quite nice as well.

I never really could understand how anyone could call this episode dated. I mean if you just look at it from the point of "they're stealing cable so it is dumb because no one steals cable anymore" you're really missing out on a lot of the episode. This episode isn't about the theft of cable and more about how each character deals with the moral issue of stealing. The scene in the car on the way home from church is funny while being a really great insight into each child. You can see it in that Lisa is feeling guilt over the theft of cable and breaking a commandment while Bart just wants to be able to use a profanity. Also, Bart at Sunday school is interesting as well where we know he's curious about the afterlife as most kids are but his questions are more than he's looking forward to the afterlife etc. Martin also raises a great point about the church in saying there's a downside to the afterlife most people forget about or aren't fully taught about how to avoid it. Also if you look at the way each character uses the cable it's a great look at the family's dynamic and each character's traits. First Bart uses the cable to gain extra money via his Top hat theater. Homer uses it to gain more friends and feels more wealthy because the family can't actually afford cable. But the best moment and brings the point home about Homer's character is that the bars every window to keep out thieves yet don't see the direct hypocrisy in his action. Marge is reluctant to really watch the TV she does during that women's show but that is it. Of course, Lisa refuses to watch the TV because it is morally wrong. But the most defining moment is when the town all gets together to watch the fight on illegal cable. The cops/ Apu/plant workers/Mr. Burns all get together the scene in itself is a great testament of the corruption of the town and lack of morals and showcasing Lisa as the towns moral center(a trait the writers would take too far in some episodes) as she and Marge are the only ones not to watch the fight at the start. But in the end, Homer does realize that his actions are not right with the jail scene and him having to hide nearly everything in the house because he'd stolen it from work/Moe's etc. That end is a great look at Homer as well as showing that eventually, he will realize that his actions are wrong and will attempt to correct them. Whether it be making Bart stay outside with the family or later cutting the cable.

Overall it's my 10th favorite episode ever and my 2nd favorite of the 2nd season. It's a great showcase of the writers' ability to balance every aspect of the show and gets better with every viewing.

Great

A title card reads Mt. Sinai: 1220 B.C. The camera pans down from a shot of Mt. Sinai and reveals a village of Israelites below. Hezron, Carver of Graven Images, is busy working at his tent, making miniature golden calf statues to sell for profit; when Homer the Thief, who bears a striking resemblance to Homer Simpson, approaches and greets Hezron. While the two make small talk, Homer steals mini statues whenever Hezron isn't looking. Zohar the Adulterer approaches and joins the conversation. The three of them converse together when suddenly; Moses appears on the side of the mountain bearing the Ten Commandments. Hezron, Homer, and Zohar are all disappointed to hear that the traits that they have earned names for are now banned by God and his Commandments.

Superb

In this episode, Homer gets illegal cable and has some many channels to watch, and while most of the family doesn't care, Lisa feels like it's stealng breaking the 8th commandment. Lisa continues to protest when Homer invites everyone to his house to watch the live wrestling match on the cable. This episode was great for season 2, as it shows alot about Lisa's character and is very funny. Lisa's version of hell was very realistic for her. This episode was an excellent addition to season 2m, and one of the first classics of the series, so far. 9/10 A-

a good avarge ep

in this simpsons ep homer sees that nedflanders did not want the cable that the guy came too hook up and so homer calles the guy over and he hooks up the free cable and homer goes to work and tells everyone that he has it and bart watches to much and falls asleep in class and homer tells people to come over for the fight and lisa is the only one that thinks its bad and that there going to hell so she is causing problems and homer gets locked out of his house and lisa is talking and after the fight is over he goes and cuts the power to the free cable .

religion

a good episode on the topic of religion and the commandments. a good episode but not one of their bests, I didn't think. It of course has some good moments, but I just didn't get into it as much has I would have liked. I liked the ending and a few other parts, but ultimately I can't give it above a B- or so. Funny in some parts with a good ending, but still not one of my favorites of the series, or season for that matter. Oh well, still watchable of course

This episode contained my favorite ending of all time. As Homer cuts the power your TV screen goes black

Homer gets an illegal cable TV hookup for free just in time for the major boxing match. Lisa learns the 8th Commandment "thou shall not steal", and fears the family will be punished for stealling the cable. Marge joins Lisa when she decides not to watch the television, and on the night of the big match, Homer feels sorry for sending his family outside. He joins them outside while his friends watch along in front of the TV. When the match is over he snips the cable, leaving half the neighborhood in blackout mode in the process. A funny episode as Lisa grows mor concered for her family's souls...

Homer gets illegal cable in one of my favorites of the season.

Homer decides to get illegal cable so he doesn't have to pay money a month. At first, just about everybody supports the idea of having it, until they found out it was illegal. Lisa protests the cable during a cable fight. Homer leaves the house while the fight is on, and cuts the cable when it's all over.

"Homer vs. Lisa and the Eighth Commandment" is one of my favorite all-time Simpsons episodes. The only reason why I didn't give this episode a perfect 10 is because of the short hell sequence, which I didn't like. Still, this is definitely one of the best episodes ever, in my opinion.

"Lisa does your father steal bread". -- Rev. Lovejoy to Lisa
"Maybe, I don't watch him every minute". -- Lisa to Rev. Lovejoy

This episode is one of my favorite episodes. Lisa usually gets on my nerves. But, I thought it was touching the way she feared for her family's souls. Bart is especially funny when the Sunday school teacher tells the kids that they will be learning about hell. Bart's reaction is so funny. I also love it in when the Simpsons are in the car riding home from church and Bart is singing hell hell hell. I also thought the conversation between Rev. Lovejoy & Lisa was very funny. The ending of the episode was very good. I love to watch this episode from time to time. It gets better every time I see it. This episode is a classic Simpsons episode.

Lisa grows more and more concerned for her family's souls.

We open in the time of Moses, where Homer the Thief is distraught to recieve the commandment "Thou shalt not steal." In the present, a cable installer offers to sell Homer an illegal hookup. Later, in Sunday school, Lisa is alarmed to learn that stealing can cost you your soul. While on the ride ome from church, Bart is imused to repeat the word "hell" again and again. Lisa grows more concerned when she observes stealing in everyday life, like Marge eating grapes in the supermarket. Concerned for her family's soul, Lisa vows to no longer watch Homer's illegal cable, no matter how good the shows are. Homer invites all his friends over to watch an exciting heavyweight fight, but the sight of Lisa staring mournfully from the front yard robs him of his joy. He joins Lisa and when the fight is over, he climbs the utility pole and cuts of the cable.

A great moral episode.

The episode starts off with a flashback to the time when
Moses was alive and there was much sinning. Homer "steals" cable by having it illegally hooked up. Now he spends 24 hours a day watching it (you can tell by the huge impression in the couch where he sat). There are many great scenes such as Lisa's vision of her family in Hell and Lisa telling her mom to pay for two grapes at the grocery store. When everybody is watching the big fight, Homer realizes what he had done wrong and relents to Lisa's silent protest. The cable is cut and supposedly Homer's soul is saved.

Homer Vs Lisa and the 8th Commandment

This episode is quite good from Season 2. Homer buys illegal cable from a fat TV man (Phil Hartman) but Lisa gets worried that she might end up in hell. She refused to watch the fight but Homer realises what he done and he steps outside because Homer is a christian and he wants to go to heaven not hell.

Homer gets illegal cable and lisa finds it wrong

This episode is one of my personal favourites from season 2 for so many reasons. this was very well animated and is yet another episode of a vision of hell, homer seeing his vision of hell in "There's no disgrace like home", bart seeing his in "bart gets hit by a car" and in this episode, lisa seeing her family on the couch with the devil sitting between them. this also develops ned as the religious neighbour when before he was just a goody-two-shoes. this episode also had some great jobs like homer having things from work and moes that he stole and the grocery store scene with marge and lisa. the beginning scene with moses and with homer as the thief and jacques as the adulterer was hilarious too. the pamphet of facts and rumours called "so you've decided to steal cable" was a nice touch too. homer comes to his senses in the end but at the worst possible time. this was a really great episode and extrememly well written.

Homer gets himself illegally hooked up to cable, and Lisa is upset and worried that God will make the family pay for breaking the Eighth Commandment (thou shalt not steal)

This episode shows the audience how determined Lisa is to do what she thinks is right. She's upset that Homer is spending all the time in front of the TV anyway, but she's even more upset with the fact that he's illegally being hooked up to it. For the entire episode, Lisa refuses to watch the TV and tries to steer everyone else away from it. Not only that, but she also tries to get her family to not steal anything at all.

This episode isn't exactly hilarious, but it has a good message hidden in there somewhere. It had it's share of moments, like when Homer's body basically gets impanted into the couch and when everyone is coming to the Simpson's house to see the big wrestling match. As I've said, it's not really a funny episode, but it develops Lisa and shows everyone that she is determined to do anything to get people on the right path, and that Homer couldn't care less about what he's doing is wrong if he makes himself happy. Not the best episode, but it's a pretty good one.

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